Months ago, Sovereign Grace Santa Ana multiplied small groups. Since then, God has built up those multiple small groups and strengthened the relationships between the members of each small group. This Friday, though, we'll all be together for a brief "family reunion". Come to the Houlton home at 7:00pm, bring a friend and enjoy the fellowship we have together in Christ.
Jesus creates unity between people unlike anything this world has ever seen. This past Sunday, Luke Friedly, our friend from Sovereign Grace Church, Pasadena, reminded us from Psalm 133 how precious unity is to God and to what lengths God has gone to in order to create and preserve unity in His Church. It's our privilege to experience that unity and our responsibility to guard that unity.
The Gospel Coalition is hosting its first West Coast conference in Fullerton, California from October 16-18.
They are looking for volunteers from partner churches in the area to serve throughout the conference. All volunteers receive free conference registration, a t-shirt and meals during volunteer shifts.
If you're available and able to volunteer, go, build relationships with other brothers and sisters from Southern California churches, be encouraged by the messages and bring a report back to the church!
Every month, the men of Sovereign Grace Church of Santa Ana meet to open up God's Word together, to pray and to learn from one another? Why? To grow as Christian men. As men, we need one another's example, encouragement and prayer in order to live godly lives in our own spheres. All guests are welcome.
The younger ones among us are the next generation of ambassadors for Christ to the world. They're worth investing in - as parents and as a church.
We have the privilege of partnering with our sister churches in Orange and Pasadena to send the youth from Sovereign Grace Santa Ana to a retreat from August 10-12. Pray for the youth and parents in attendance.
Eli and Miguel confessed their faith in Jesus Christ before a crowd of family, friends and church family. They were then immersed in a pool of water and raised out from the water - a moment full of profound symbolism.
Baptism doesn't save anybody. Baptism, however, demonstrates and symbolizes that a saving work has occurred. It's an outward sign of an inward work.
We could hardly be more grateful for the two young men who were baptized as a matter of obedience. But it also gives us a fervor for more. We exist to spread the joy of Jesus. Baptism is an evidence that His joy is spreading. Pray that we would have the privilege of baptizing more and more men and women in Downtown Santa Ana.
We're a small church with great partners. While we may not yet have enough middle school and high school-aged youth in our church to have our own full-fledged youth ministry, there's still a place for them to learn and grow alongside their peers.
Beginning in September, all middle schoolers and high schoolers at Sovereign Grace Santa Ana are invited to the monthly youth meetings hosted by Sovereign Grace Orange. Look to future blog posts in the next couple weeks or email kyle@sovgraceoc.org for more details.
In the third message in the Gospel of John, we ended chapter 1 this past Sunday. Rather than simply having Jesus described for us by the author, we met Him, as it were, face-to-face through the eyes of His first 5 disciples. What do you encounter when you see Jesus? His glory. Listen to last week's message and come and see Jesus for who He is.
This year, we'll be spending the first Friday of every month. Church members who fast for all 12 Fridays (all 11 since we missed January) will be invited to a year-end party to celebrate the answers to our prayers. If fasting is new to you, here are some instructions.
The focus for August will be "Men":
If you're wondering about visiting church, but concerned about what to do with your kids, we offer childcare for children 5 years old and younger.
Our childcare is safe and secure - all volunteers are screened (including a background check) and cleared to serve.
Our childcare is sanitary - dietary restrictions are honored and proper cleanliness and hygiene practices are honored and followed.
Finally, our childcare is purposeful - little children love to play, but they also love to learn. Every week, an age-appropriate lesson and craft is prepared to help convey God's Word to them in a way that they can understand.
If you have questions about our childcare, please email kyle@sovgraceoc.org.
